Flight F7251 touched down at Leipzig/Halle
airport at 12:20pm local time and the newly branded 50-seat Saab 2000 aircraft
was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute.

This is Etihad Regional’s second route
launch to Germany from Switzerland, following the start of a Geneva-Stuttgart operation
in February. The airline operates
already from Leipzig to Amsterdam and Paris.

Maurizio Merlo, Chief Executive Officer of
Etihad Regional said: “It is a great honour for us to link these two important European
cities, and even more so with a daily connection.

“Our service will no doubt enhance the
already strong commercial and leisure ties between Switzerland and Germany, while at the same
time extending Etihad Regional’s geographic presence
in the German market. It is good news
for business and leisure travellers alike, as it is for the cities of Leipzig
and Zurich.”

Peter Baumgartner, Vice Chairman designate
of Etihad Regional said: “Importantly, the new service demonstrates Etihad
Regional’s strategy to continue building a strong regional network linking European
cities and towns, which also connect to the global network of our partners,
including Etihad Airways and airberlin.

“For Etihad Regional, as for the Etihad
brand as a whole, providing a remarkable guest experience is one of the core
elements of our proposition. What our
guests expect is that we put them first. Put them first with our product, our
service and our network, and that’s what we are doing.”

Markus Kopp, Chief Executive Officer of
Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, the parent company of Leipzig airport, said: “It’s great to be able to launch a third
European service from Leipzig/Halle in conjunction with our airline partner –
Etihad Regional.

“We believe demand for the new service
will be high both in our region and in the airline’s Zurich catchment area, and
it will also be attractive for travellers coming to Leipzig from further
afield.”

Beyond linking Leipzig and Zurich, the new flights will also offer
travellers a great opportunity to connect onto Etihad Airways, the UAE national
carrier’s upcoming services from Zurich to Abu Dhabi.* Flights beyond Abu
Dhabi, offered by Etihad Airways and its equity partners, Jet Airways and
Virgin Australia connect well with destinations in the Middle East, Indian
subcontinent, Asia and Australia.